Percussion musical instrument



April 10, 1951 c. w. PERCY PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29. 1947 April 10, 1951 c. w. PERCY 2,548,271

PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 29, 1947 5 nul r T I 67 i l 1 i I i i l 1 11 1 H! I I i EJ11111 44 I g April 10, 1951 c. w. PERCY PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 29, 1947 April 10, 1951 c. w. PERCY 2,548,271

PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed July 29, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Invenlbr Byhiwu Wa m lu Attorney:

Patented Apr. 10, 1951 PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Charles William Percy, London, England, assignor to John E. Dallas and Sons Limited, London,

England Application July 29, 1947, Serial No. 764,529 In Great Britain March 28, 1946 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires March 28, 1966 Claims. 1

This invention relates to percussion musical instruments and to outfits comprising such instruments.

It has hitherto been the practice in bands, orchestras and the like to use apercussion musical outfit comprising a plurality of percussion instruments such as a bass drum, side drum, tympani, tom-toms, cymbals and the like, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved percussion musical instrument and an outfitcomprising the same which is more compact, both in use and when packed for transport, and which consequently can be more easily used and more readily transported than the outfits previously proposed.

Thus according to the present invention there is provided a percussion musical instrument comprising a double vellum drum adapted to be supported with its axis in an upright or substantiall upright position, foot-operated means for adjusting the tension of the upper vellum'of the instrument during use so that tympano and-tomtom effects can be produced, and a foot-operated beater for striking the lower vellum of the drum to produce bass drum effects.

Further according to the invention there is provided a percussion musical outfit comprising a multi-purpose drum as set forth above and means associated with said drum for producing incidental effects, such as side drums, cymbals, cow bells and the like.

The tension of the upper vellum of the drum may be adjusted by means including an annular .bearing member, for example mechanically as set forth in copending application Serial No. 649,910, British Patent No. 592,979, or hydraulically as set forth hereinunder and in British Patent No. 589,617, and the tension of the vellum may be maintainediwhenthe pedal for operating said means'is released by means of Wedge locking mechanism as set forth hereinunder and .in British Patent No. 590,803.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of one construction of percussion musical instrument tension of the upper vellum of the drum;

p Figure 4 is a perspective view of a double pedal control for use in conjunction Figure 3; V

Figure 5 is a front end view of the pedal control shown in Figure 4', and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a percussion musical outfit including the double pedal control.

Figure '7 is a sectional side view of a modified construction embodying hydraulically operated mechanism for adjusting the tension of the upper vellum, and

Figure 8 is an inverted plan view of the mechanism for maintaining the tension of the upper vellum.

In the constructions shown in Figures 1 and 2, the percussion musical instrument comprises a double vellum drum generally indicated at l0 having a cylindrical shell ll of say 18 inches to 20 inches diameter and say 18 inches to 20 inches between its vellums. which is adjustably with the outfit of 20 mounted on four equally spaced supports l2 so that it may be arranged at the desired height in a vertical position as shown, by means of brackets l2.

The tension of the upper vellum i3 is adapted 26 to be adjusted during use by foot-operated and in British Patent No. 589.617, referred to above, and may act on the vellum either internally of the drum shell, as shown in the accompanying Figures 1 and 2, or externally thereof in known manner.

Means are also provided for adjusting the initial tension of the vellums. Thus the upper vellum l3 may be secured in a fixed position over the upper end of the drum shell II by a captive hoop I! so that its initial tension may be adjusted by means of a counter hoop l and screw rods I8 engaging with sockets l9 and'clamps IS". The lower vellum l6 may be secured in position at the desired tension in a similar manner.

The foot-operated mechanism 14 for adjusting the tension of the upper vellum from within the instrument during use may comprise an annular bearing member 20, as described in'copending application Serial No. 649,910, now abandoned, and the said member 20 may be actuated by a series of levers 2|, for example eight, pivotally mounted round the interior of the drum shell at equal distances apart. Each lever 2| may be in the form of a bellcrank lever which is pivoted at its elbow 22 to a supporting bracket 23 attachedto the interior of the shell one end 24 of the bellcrank lever being pivotally attached to a thrust rod 25 which engages the annular bearing member 20, while the other end 26 of the bellcrank lever is pivotally connected to a tension rod 21 extending downwardly towards the centre of the drum shell. The lower end of each tension rod 21 is attached to the socket plate 28 of a ball and socket joint or equivalent, the ball 29 of the joint being provided with a spring stem 30 which extends downwardly through a central, aperture in the socket plate, forming the seating for the ball 29, and is connected to a transverse lever 3| between the ends thereof by a jointed rod 32. The lever 3| is disposed beneath the lower vellum I6, and the rod 32 extends downwardly through a central aperture 33 in the lower vellum I6, the peripheral edge of the said aperture being reinforced by a metal ring 34 riveted thereto as shown. The transverse lever 3| is pivoted at one end 35 to a supporting member 36 while its other end 31 serves as a foot tread.

By means of the ve lum tensioning mechanism described above. the tension of the upper vellum |3 may be adiusted during the use to give either tympano eiTects or tom-tom effects, as desired, according to the tension applied to the vellum. The a ove described construction can conveniently be pla ed b a standing player.

If desi ed the lockin means described below and in British Patent No. 590.803 ma be used instead of the simple lever 3| described above so that the tension on the vellum l3 may be maintained when the pressure on the foot tread is removed.

The foot-o erated beater for st ikin the lower ve lum l6 mav comprise a rod 38 which is provided with a striking head 39 at its forward end and is onnected at its rear end to a pivoted foot tread 40' by means of a air of interconnected links 4|. 42, the rod 38 being pivotal v mounted adiacent i s rear end on a rod 43 which is mounted between two su porting le s l2 and secured to t e outer end ofthe link 4| by a screw 4|. Thus downward pressure on the foot tread 40 serves to rotate the rod 38 about the pivot pin 43 and thus moves the forward end o the rod upwardly to brine the beater head into contact with the under surface of'the lower vellum is to produce bass drum effects. The movement of the beater head awav from the vellum under gravity may be supplemented by the pull of a tension spring 44. Any other form of foot operated upwardly striking beatermay of'course be used.

In the percussion musical outfit shown in Figures 3 to 6, the above described simple lever construction for controlling the tension of'the upper vellum is replaced byamodified construction in which the rod 32 previously referred to is operated by a Bowden cable mechanism with pedal control. In this construction, which is intended for use by a seated player, a double pedal control generally indicated at 45 with an enlargedheel plate 16 as shown, or a swivelling heel plate (not shown) may be used so that the player may use his left foot to control both the tension of the upper vellum of the drum and to operate a pair' of cymbals 46, 41 (known as "high-hat sock" cymbals).

The double foot control 45 shown more particularly in Figures 4 and 5 includes a pedal 46 for operating the cymbals 46, 41 through the Bowden cable mechanism, generally indicated at 49, and a second pedal 50 for operating the upper vellum l3 of the drum l0 through the Bowden cable mechanism generally indicated at 5|. The pedals 48 and 50 are pivoted at their rear ends tothe common heel plate 16. At their front ends the pedals are connected to a base member 53 by rhombic linkages, generally indicated at 54 and 55 respectively. Thus linkage 54 for pedal 46 comprises four links 56, 51, 58 and 59, links 56 and 51 being pivoted at one end to the pedal 46 at the point 60, while the links 6 and 59 are pivoted at one end to the base member 53 at the point 6|. The other ends of the links 58 and 58 are pivoted to the sheath 62 of the Bowden cable 63 while the other ends of the links 51 and 59 are pivotally connected to the end of the said cable 63. When the pedal 48 is depressed, the linkage 54 is elongated transversely causing the end of the cable 63'to be drawn further out of the sheath 62 and thus lower the upper cymbal 46 into engagement with the lower cymbal 41 against the action of a helical compression spring (not shown) situated in the supporting column 61 of the cymbals, the cymbal 46 being supported by a rod 68 attached to the Bowden cable. The column 51 may conveniently be connected to one of the supports l2 of the drum III by an arm 69 adiustably secured to said support.

In a similar manner, when the pedal 60 is depressed, link 55 is elongated transversely causing the end of the cable to be drawn further out of the sheath 66 against the tension of the vellum l3, thus increasing the said tension. either d rectly through rod 32 and the allied mechanism described above in connection with Figure 1, or indirectly through wedge locking means 19 indicated in Figures 3 and 8 and described below and in British Patent No. 590,803.

If desired the construction shown in Figures 3 to 6 may be used in combination with the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rod 32 being connected by the lever 8| and also connected by Bowden cable mechanism to one of the pedals of the above mentioned double pedal control so that the outfit may be played either by a seated player or by a standing player. The locking mechanism described below and in British Patent No. 590,803 may also be used in this combined construction.

A percussion musical outfit according to the invention may include a side drum 10 as shown in Figure 6, said drum being adjustably mounted on a supporting member 1| detachably associated with the base member 53 of the pedals 48 and 50, and with the drum supports I2.

The drum I0 may also be provided with a straight 'or curved trap" rail (not shown) for supporting cymbals, cow bells, wood blocks or the like. For example a curved trap rail may be supported by two of the supports l2 and extend round approximately a quarter oi the circumierence of the drum above the upper periphery thereof. A single cymbal may be adjustably mounted in the upper end of one of the supports l2 if desired instead of on the trap rail.

It will of course be understood that the Bowden cable systems described above may be replaced by a chain or other connection. Furthermore it is to be understood that the invention is British Patent-No. 590,803.

sticks, beaters and wire brushes. neath'the lower vellum whichaccommodates the beater may also be used to accommodate some of the incidental instruments during transport, and for this purpose an under tray may be provided auaau "not'limited to the particular constructions described above. through the lower vellum I6, the rod 82 may be For example; instead of passing adjustably connected to the central part of a transverse lever which is pivoted at one end to a bracket on the interior of the drum shell while its other end may extend through a longitudinal slot in the drum shell for attachment by a wire cable to a foot tread so that downward pressure on the latter serves to draw the cable downward thus operating the transverse lever and in turn the tension rods 21 and consequently the bellcrank levers associated therewith to cause the thrust rods 25 to bear upwardly against the annular bearing member 20 and thus increase the tension on the vellum.

Instead of using a transverse lever which extends through a slot in the drum shell as described above, a lever may be used which is disposed wholly within the shell and is connected at its free end by a cable which passes under one pulley mounted within the shell and over another pulley mounted in a slot in the shell to the foot tread. Any stretch which may-develop in the cable may be accommodated by adjustment of a the connection between the above mentioned stem 30 and transverse lever. Instead of providing means for adjusting the tension of the vellum from within the instrument during use by means i of an annular bearing member as described above,

the vellum being positioned by a fixed or adjustable counterhoop, the vellum may be tensioned duringuse by means of an adjustable counterhoop-which is slidably mounted on the outside of the shell of the drum and engages a captive. vellum hoop as described in the above mentioned Thus the counterhoop may cooperate with a plurality of rods equally spaced around the instrument, the lower end of each of which is connected to the outer. end of a link which is pivoted to the exterior of the shell, the said links being in turn pivotally connected to the socket of the ball and socket joint or equivalent, previously referred to, by

tension rods passing through the shell of the in- L strument.

As the further alternative, instead of using mechanical means for adjusting the tension of the upper vellum, the latter may be adjusted by fluid pressure arranged to act on the vellum ,from withinthe instrument or arranged to 00- operate with the counterhoop as described in copending application Serial No. 649,910, new abandoned, British Patent No. 592,979, under the control of a foot tread as previously indicated.

Dampers may also be provided within the instrument in knownmanner for controlling the tone,of the bass drum constituted by the lower vellum. i

The tone of the lower vellum may be initially adjusted as indicated above or alternatively manually operable fluid or mechanical means as described in the above mentioned British patents may be provided for adjusting the initial tension of this vellum. v

An elongated box, open at its upper end, may be attached in an inclined position to the exterior surface of the drum shell for holding the drum The space beif desired with brake controlled wheels or runners of known construction to facilitate the movement otthe outfit. Alternatively the supporting legs :may be replaced by an annular skirt if desired.

It is to be understood that the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be modified to include locking mechanism as described in British Patent No. 590,803, and that the construction shown in Figure 6 may be modified to include the separate pedal control 31 of Figure 1 and/or exclude the lockingmechanism 65.

A construction in which the tension of the upper vellum is adjusted by hydraulically operated mechanism is shown in Figure '7 in which the fluid pressure means 89 comprise an annular pipe 8| secured by brackets 82 to the inner surface of the shell I I so as to extend round the interior of the drum at a short distance from the upper vellum I3. The conduit BI 'is formed with eight equidistantly spaced cylinder members 84 which communicate with the conduit and project therefrom towards the vellum parallel to the axis of the drum.

Each of the cylinder members 84 is fitted internally with a piston member comprising a piston head within the cylinder member and a rod 97 which is attached to the said piston head and extends through a liquid-tight packing member 88, the latter being screwed on to the free end of the cylinder member 84. The outer end of each rod 81 engages in a socket 9I in an annular bearing member 92 which makes contact with the interior surface of the vellum I3, the inturned end portion 93 of the shell I I being cut away as shown to accommodate the said sockets 9 I.

The annular conduit 8I is also provided with a portion. 94 which extends through the shell I I of the drum. adjacent the lower end thereof, the

lower end of saidportion communicating with a foot operated control member in the form of a fluid pressure cylinder-95 with a piston 83 which is adapted to be depressed within the cylinder 95 by means of the foot-tread31 on the transverse lever 3|. 9

The conduit 8|, the portion 94, the cylinder members 84 and the pressure cylinder 95 are charged with a pressure-transmitting fluid, for example, thick grease, so that when pressure is applied to the pressure fluid by depressing the foot tread 31, the piston members in the cylinder members 84 are caused to press the annular bearing member 92v against the vellum I3 and thus increase the tension on the latter.

The wedge locking mechanism I9 indicated in Figure 3 is illustrated in detail in Figure 8 which is an inverted plan viewthereof. As shown in Figure 7 this mechanism includes motion transmitting mechanism 508 whichis arranged within a casing and is connected with the vellum ten sioning mechanism within the drum by means of a rod II4, corresponding with the rod 32 previously described with reference to Figure 1, the said rod I extending through an upwardly projecting portion at one end of the casing and through a central aperture in the lower vellum.

Thespindle H4 is connected at itslower end i to amend of a short length of chain II5 which bers I24 with inclined surfaces I25 between which the wedge member is disposed, the surfaces I23 being arranged parallel to and adapted to cooperate with the corresponding inclined surfaces I25. The slide members I24 are in turn arranged between parallel supporting guides I26 secured to the interior surface of the middle portion of the casing.

The surfaces I23 and I25 are grooved longitudinally to form races for balls I2I for facilitating the sliding movement between the members I22 and I24 during locking and unlocking as described hereinunder.

The wedge member I22 is provided at its wider end with a stem I28 and bears at its other end against a transverse abutment member I29, and the members I22 and I29 are disposed between two transverse bars I30 and I3 I, the bar I30 being attached to the adjacent end of the chain I I5 and the bar I3I being screwed on to the adjacent end of the rod H8. The outer ends of the bars I30 and I3I are connected by rods I32 which extend through longitudinal apertures in the slide members I24. the apertures in the members I24 being large enough to allow the necessary play on the rods I32 during the operation of the device. The ends of the rods I32 are screw-threaded to receive nuts i 33 so that the wedge member I22 and the abutment member I29 can be clamped together between the transverse bars I30 and II, the member I29 being spaced a short distance from the adjacent ends of the members I24 when the parts of the device are in their locked position.

To enable the position of the slide members I'M to be adjusted relative to the wedge member I22 when under vellum tension, lock nuts I34 which limit the rearward movement of the slide members relative to the wedge member are screwthreaded onto the rods I 32, the correct functioning of the device being dependent on the setting of the nuts !34. When the parts of the device are in their locking position the slide members bear against the nuts I 34.

The parts of the locking device are normally covered by a plate (not shown) which is attached by screws I54 to the guides I26.

When in locked position the wedge member occupies a position relative to the slide members as shown in Figure 8. When a pull is exerted on the wedge member I22 by the foot tread. the wedge member I22 is loosened between the slide members I24, and the member I29 is caused to abut a ainst the adiacent ends of the members I 2 so that if the pull continues to be exerted the we e and slide members are moved as a whole to the right relative to the guides I25 to increase the tension of the vellum. When the pull ceases the tension of the vellum serves to reverse the movement of the wed e member I 22 either to lock the slide members I24 a ainst the guides I26 and thus maintain the tension of the vellum. or to allow the wedge and slide members to return as whole to the left relative to the guides I25 to permit the vellum to assume a reduced tension, the locking or the reverse movement being efiected according to the manner in which the pedal is released. If the pressure on the foot tread is removed so as to allow the we e memhqr I2 to cooperate sharply with the slide members I24 under the un estrained action of the vellum tension, the slide members I24 are automatically locked against the guides I26, but if the wedge member is only allowed to bear gently against 8 saidmemb'ers I24, the tension of the vellum being largely restrained by the pressure on the pedal after the wedge member has been released, the slide members are caused to slide in the guides !26 to reduce the vellum tension.

What I claim is:

l. A percussion musical instrument comprising a double vellum drum adapted to be supported with its central longitudinal axis in an upright or substantially upright position, foot-operated means for adjusting the tension of the upper vellum of the instrument during use so that tymano and tom-tom effects can be produced. and a foot-operated beater for striking the lower vellum of the drum to produce bass drum effects.

2. A percussion musical instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foot-operated means for adjusting the tension of the upper vellum of the instrument include an annular bearing member within the drum shell. lever mechanism for pressing said member against the under surface of said vellum. and a single control pedal for operatin said lever mechanism.

3. A percussion musical instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foot-operated means for adjusting the tension of the upper vellum of the instrument include an annular bearing member within the drum shell, lever mechanism for pressing said member against the under surface of said vellum, a single control pedal for operatin said lever mechanism and a tension rod connected to said mechanism, said rod passing through a central aperture in the lower vellum of the drum.

4. A percussion musical instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foot-operated means for adiusting the tension of the upper vellum of the instrument include an annular bearin member within the drum shell, lever mechanism for pressing said member against the under surface of said vellum. a single control pedal for operating said lever mechanism. a tension rod connected to said mechanism, said rod passing throu h a central aperture in the lower vellum of the drum, and the peripheral edge of the aperture being reinforced by a fiat metal ring.

5. A percussion musical instrument as claimed in claim 1. wherein the foot-operated means for adjusting the tension of the upper vellum of the instrument include an annular bearing member within the drum shell. lever mechanism for ressing said member against the under surface of said vellum: a single control pedal for operat n said lever mechanism. tension rod connected to said mechanism, said rod pas in throu h a central aperture in the lower vellum of the drum. and the peripheral ed e of the a erture be n reinforced by a fiat metal ring. and wherein the lever mechanism includes a pluralitv of lev rs. pivotally arranged eouidistantlv around the interior of the drum shell adiacent the u per end thereof, one end of each lever being connected to the annular bearing member bv a thrust rod. while the other end of each lever is connected by the tension rod which extends to ards the center of the drum and is connected to th ocket member of a. ball and socket .ioint car ed bv the tension rod connected to the operating edal.

6. A. percussion music lin tr ment con'rorisine a double vellum dru adapted to be up ort d with its central longitudinal axis in an upri ht or substantiallv upri ht po ition. foot-o erated hydraulic means for ad lusting the tension of the up er vellum of he instrument during use so that tympano and tom-tom effects can. be produced, and a foot-operated heater for striking the lower vellum of the drum to produce bass drum effects.

7. A percussion musical instrument comprising a double vellum drum adapted to be supported with its central longitudinal axis in an upright or substantially upright position, foot-operated lever mechanism extending through the shell of the drum, for adjusting the tension of the upper vellum of the instrument during use so that tympano and tom-tom efiects can be produced, and a foot-operated beater for striking the lower vellum of the drum to produce bass drum efiects.

8. A percussion musical instrument comprising a double vellum drum adapted to be supported with its central longitudinal axis in an upright or substantially upright position, foot-operated means for adjusting the tension of the upper vellum of the instrument during use so that tympano and tom-tom effects can be produced, and a foot-operated beater for striking the lower vellum of the drum to produce bass drum effects, and separate means for enabling the tension of the upper and lower vellums to be initially adjusted.

9. A percussion musical instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foot-operated means for adjusting the tension of the upper vellum of the instrument include an annular bearing member within the drum shell, lever mechanism for pressing said member against the under surface of said vellum, and a single control pedal for operating said lever mechanism, by means extending through the shell of the drum.

10. A percussion musical instrument comprising a double vellum drum adapted to be supportedwith its central longitudinal axis in an upright or substantially upright position, footoperated means for adjusting the tension of the upper vellum of the instrument during use so that tympano and tom-tom effects can be produced, said means includingwedge locking mechanism so that the tension or said upper vellum maybe maintained when'the pedal is released, and a foot-operated beater for striking the lower vellum of the drum to produce bass drum effects.

' CHARLES WILLIAM PERCY.

REFERENCES CITED 7 The following references are of record in the file of this patent: I

UNITED STATES 7 PATENT Number Name Date 1,456,242 Leedy May 22, 1923 1,808,085 Troppe June 2, 1931 

